Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-07-22
COMMUNICATED.
NOTES FROM THE TEACHERS INSTITUTE.

Nearly every teacner In the puoic
schools of the county and others who ex-
pect to teach, were present sometime
during the session. There were sixty
six enrolled and the daily average at
tendance was fifty. The teachers as a
body impressed our community very fa-
vorably, and many were the comments
upon "the fine looking body"
The teachers have now returned to
their homes and have carried with them
pleasant memory of our town. people
and schools and with all, a satisfaction
with their attendance upon the Institute
that they never experienced before.
The Institute was presided over by
our new County Superintendent, who
performed his duties to the satisfaction
of all. The instructor was well known
to all the teachers and they all had con-
fidence in his ability 10 instruct them
and that his long experience in teaching
all grades of schools enabled him 10 I'M
derstand fully the difficulties and trials
that teachers had To contend against and
to sympathize with them in their suffer
ings and suggest remedies for many of
the evils of which they complained.
During the exercise. Of the Institute
many of the obstacles in the way of car
rying OH the schools successfully and
satisfactorily were brought out and some
remedies proposed to enable the teach
ers TO do better work and TO secure an
amelioration OF evils. Among the things
complained of were: |, Irregularity of
attendance by the pupils caused by the
| Indifference OF the parents ard patrons
to the progress of their children at school
and to their regular atten ance; 2, The
want of the necessary books and station
ery TO enable the pupils to do their
work regularly aud at set times; 3, The
want of sympathy with the teacher in
his work by the patrons, officers and
people of the community, thus diScour-
aging him and weakening his influence
over the pupils. The fact was fully
| brought out that no teacher had the SYM
pathy aud co. operation of the people OF
his district and that great indifference
was shown toward the school and Its
work. founded, doubtless, in some dis.
tricts upon the opposition to the public
school system that still fingers in some
minds; 4, The idea prevalent in some
communities that the public school and
| its teacher is useless tax upon the COM
munity and the sooner both are done
away with and removed from sight the
better it will be for the happiness and
business success Of the people; D, The
want of uniform system of classifying
and grading the schools, so as to enable
the teacher to do his work better, by
unifying the individuals of the schools
into classes and unifying the classes into
grades, thus affording stimulus to reg.
ular attendance and creating 4 spirit of
generous rivalry among the members Of
The several classes.
The remedies suggested for these evils
were: /, That the attention Of the pa.
irons be called by monthly reports from
the teachers Of the schools to tho alb
sences of the children, and by keeping
their schools well classified better at
tendance may be secured on the part of
the pupils by the fear of being dropped
into lower classes and grades; 2, The
want of books is hard to overcome, but
if parents take proper interest in the
education of their children they will
find some means of Obtaining the ncces-
sary books and will not discourage them
in their school work; 3, The fact that
the teachers have not the sympathy and
hearty cooperation of the people is
greatly TO be regretted; that the public
school teacher should be regarded as a
in the light we now have Oh the subject
of public education and that the teacher
should be disparaged and cried down by
parents and others in the presence of
the children who attend school, is Il
want of common prudence that is sur
prising; surely, the mere calling of
their attention to this ought to prove a
sufficient remedy; 4, Is not the teacher
the best friend your children have in
the community? If parents took one
half the care Of the mental and moral
training of their children that the teach.
ers do, there would be less intemper-
ance and immortality prevailing in the
land; >, The Institute maturel and Or
dered to be printed for the use of the
teachers and school officers Of the coun-
ty, a system of classifying and grading
the primary schools, which, if carried
out, will prove invaluable to our public
schools and enable the teacher to do
more work aud better work in the same
time and remedy many of the evils now
complained of in the public schools.
If this plan is faithfully carried out,
the work Of this Institute will stand as
memorial in Jefferson county.